Identification of NOX4 as a New Biomarker in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Its Effect on Sorafenib Therapy.

To improve the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), new biomarkers and therapeutic targets are urgently needed. In this study, the GEO and TCGA dataset were used to explore the differential co-expressed genes and their prognostic correlation between HCC and normal samples. The mRNA levels of these genes were validated by qRT-PCR in 20 paired fresh HCC samples. The results demonstrated that the eight-gene model was effective in predicting the prognosis of HCC patients in the validation cohorts. Based on qRT-PCR results, NOX4 was selected to further explore biological functions within the model and 150 cases of paraffin-embedded HCC tissues were scored for NOX4 immunohistochemical staining. We found that the NOX4 expression was significantly upregulated in HCC and was associated with poor survival. In terms of function, the knockdown of NOX4 markedly inhibited the progression of HCC in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistic studies suggested that NOX4 promotes HCC progression through the activation of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. In addition, the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib treatment was obviously decreased after NOX4 overexpression. Taken together, this study reveals NOX4 as a potential therapeutic target for HCC and a biomarker for predicting the sorafenib treatment response.

Tumor enhancement ratio with unenhanced imaging is an independent prognostic factor for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after transarterial chemoembolization.

OBJECTIVE: To investigative whether the odds tumor enhancement ratio (OTER) on cross-sectional imaging is a prognostic factor for hepatocellular carcinoma after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). METHODS: This study involved 126 patients who underwent TACE from May 2015 to March 2019. The signal intensity/Hounsfield units (HU) was measured by placing regions of interest on the tumor and surrounding liver in unenhanced and arterial-phase contrast-enhanced cross-sectional images. The OTER was calculated as follows: OTER = (HUTUMORart - HUTUMORun)/ (HULIVERart - HULIVERun). Univariate analysis was performed to determine the factors associated with overall survival (OS). Variables with a P value of <0.10 were included in the multivariate Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: The median OS was 757 days. Tumors with a peripheral location, small size, and low OTER had better OS than those with a central location, large size, and high OTER. OS did not differ according to the extent of tumor involvement or tumor enhancement pattern. The OTER, tumor location, and size were included in the multivariate Cox regression analysis. A low OTER was the predictor of better OS. CONCLUSION: A high OTER is a risk factor for poor OS in patients undergoing TACE. This should be taken into consideration before the procedure.

Massive retroperitoneal hemorrhage secondary to femoral artery puncture: A case report and review of literature.

RATIONALE: A rare case of massive bleeding with rupture of the branch artery deriving from uterine artery was reported in the present study. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 29-year old female patient received embolism of malformed cerebral vessels. Ten hours after the operation, a sudden drop in blood pressure occurred. The patient developed coma and shock, and again underwent interventional angiography, which revealed bleeding at the right femoral artery puncture site of the first interventional procedure. The bleeding sign disappeared by pressure dressing. At 19 hours after stable condition, blood pressure fell again, and it was considered that recurrent bleeding occurred at the femoral artery puncture point. Therefore surgical suture of punctured blood vessel was performed. Then the condition was stabilized again. After another 20 hours, the third times blood pressure dropped. The third interventional angiography displayed a rupture of the branch artery deriving from the right uterine artery. Blood pressure of the patient elevated after embolism of right uterine artery, and the condition gradually stabilized. DIAGNOSES: The massive bleeding with rupture of the branch artery deriving from uterine artery seconded huge retroperitoneal hematoma after femoral artery puncture. INTERVENTIONS: The patient underwent three times interventional treatment including an embolism of malformed cerebral vessels, a right femoral artery interventional treatment, an embolism of the branch artery deriving from the right uterine artery and one time of surgical suture of punctured blood vessel. OUTCOMES: Half a month of comprehensive treatment later, the patient was discharged from the hospital. LESSONS: Massive bleeding with rupture of branch of artery deriving from the uterine artery following grain retroperitoneal hemorrhage is extremely rare, to the best of our knowledge, it has not been previously reported. The rupture of branch of artery deriving from the uterine artery should be considered as one the differential diagnosis in the retroperitoneal hemorrhage when the bleeding cause was not found. Endovascular trans-arterial embolism was a safe, effective, and minimally invasive therapeutic option.